Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Builders

I get a call from the removals men, parked outside our new home in Wells. It's 10.30 a.m. and they've been there since 9 a.m. The house is locked up, is anyone planning to open up and let them in?

Karen from Pickfords, our 'move coordinator' had assured us that they would be arriving late morning. On that basis Clare had planned to drive down from Bristol to arrive shortly before 11 a.m. Worse was to follow.

Turns out the builder had not, as he had promised, installed the kitchen. The washing machine, dryer, fridge-freezer and cooker were still where they had been delivered, parked in the living room. And the water in the house was turned off with no clear indication as to whether any pipes had been left uncapped.

Naturally the builder was not answering his phone.

I learned about this latter development after lunch and a flurry of phone calls to unanswered builder phones followed. Finally at 2 p.m. the builder got back into radio reception, called me and was redirected to talk to Clare. However, he maddeningly refused to make the call and then stopped answering his phone again. Finally, after messages were left with him asking him to drop our key through the letterbox and walk away he called Clare and we learned he'd had problems with his plumber.

He is now on notice to gather his resources (plumber, electrician) and finish the kitchen by the end of the week. If he can't guarantee that by this evening we shall place the work with someone else.

Meanwhile Clare, rather than spending her first night in Wells is on her way back to Reading. The cat will be delighted._____

Update 7 p.m: Clare has let the builder go and we have engaged another one. He's due to turn up first thing Thursday morning to do the kitchen so here's hoping.